Raven

This is one of those shows from your childhood that you look back on with fondness. At the time you completely buy into the premise of it and believe that its all real. It's only in the fullness of time that you realise that it's all staged.

The challenges were entertaining, the basic premise ran for years. It was a good show in an age where cartoons and dumbed down kiddie sitcoms ruled the airways.

I think the BBC probably milked the format a little bit too much ('Nevar' anyone?) but when it was good this show was one of the highlights of the CBBC timeslot.

(NOTICE: This review is more focused on the original series, which lasted ten series from 2002 until 2010. Therefore, the 2017 revival, which lasted tw series, will not be focused on

Raven is a kid's show that also doubles as a game show. Hosted by James Mackenzie, who plays the immortal Scottish warlord Raven, the show takes place in a medieval fantasy setting. In each season, three groups of six kids are seen competing for the title of Ultimate Warrior, and to do that, they must endure five weeks of challenges and tasks, which at various points, the player who has the fewest lives and rings must face the Warrior's Way, where failure means elimination from the competition, but success forces the player with next least amount of lives and rings must do this, as it will go on until someone is eliminated. Only two warriors can move on to the final week (as each series takes place in a four-week period, the first three weeks deciding the final six, and the fourth week being the finale that decides who claims the title of Ultimate Warrior).

A neat little series, despite being a game show, the show gives off a fantasy vibe, as the kids who compete wear clothing and are given warrior names that fit the setting, and Raven is always in character. For the challenges, each one focuses on a certain skill, like strength, agility, stealth, etc. Also, the series gets better as each series adds new character (Series 2 adds Nevar, an evil sorcerer who would become the main antagonist of the series and its spin-offs), and the special effects are amazing. This is a kid's show worth checking out.